What should a young carer reference look like?

Hi so for my unis, they asked a reference talking about my situation to be there so they can better understand and give me a contextual offer. My form tutor just said to come up with the reference on my own and he can just paste it in. So what can I say? I care for my dad who is diabetic

Reply 1

CCCU -Rep

Official Rep

Hi there!

The best place to look for advice is on the UCAS, they have lots of indepth information to help young people such as yourself to navigate the application process. Here's the link to the main page > https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/individual-needs/students-caring-responsibilities

I hope this helps, best of luck!

Reply 2

CCCU -Rep

Official Rep

How can you stand out?
Caring for another person develops a range of important skills and characteristics. Thinking about these is a great starting point for writing your personal statement. You don’t have to go into lots of detail about your circumstances or responsibilities. Instead, it’s about showcasing the skills you have.
Let’s look at things to note down to help you think about what to include in your personal statement:

Think about your responsibilities
These are the things you do as a carer. To get started, here are some things to note down:

•

emotional support

•

financial support and management

•

practical household tasks

•

personal care or physical help

•

supporting with medical professionals

Think about your skills
These are the skills you demonstrate every day as you care for someone else. To get started, here are some things to note down:

•

manage challenging situations or behaviours

•

show empathy and understanding

•

understand complex information

•

problem-solving skills

•

calm under pressure and in stressful situations

And finally, think about your personal characteristics
This focuses on everything you are as a result of caring for someone else. To get you started, here are some things to note down:

•

patient and supportive of others

•

flexible and responsive to changing situations

•

highly compassionate

•

resourceful and resilient

•

high moral and ethical awareness

(edited 9 months ago)

Reply 3

PS Reviewer

Original post by CCCU -Rep

Think about your responsibilities
These are the things you do as a carer. To get started, here are some things to note down:

•

emotional support

•

financial support and management

•

practical household tasks

•

personal care or physical help

•

supporting with medical professionals

Think about your skills
These are the skills you demonstrate every day as you care for someone else. To get started, here are some things to note down:

•

manage challenging situations or behaviours

•

show empathy and understanding

•

understand complex information

•

problem-solving skills

•

calm under pressure and in stressful situations

And finally, think about your personal characteristics
This focuses on everything you are as a result of caring for someone else. To get you started, here are some things to note down:

•

patient and supportive of others

•

flexible and responsive to changing situations

•

highly compassionate

•

resourceful and resilient

•

high moral and ethical awareness

Is this copied from somewhere?

(edited 9 months ago)

Reply 4

CCCU -Rep

Official Rep

Hi there, yes this is from the UCAS site!

Reply 5

PS Reviewer

Original post by CCCU -Rep

Hi there, yes this is from the UCAS site!

It’s guidance on how to use information about caring experience within a personal statement not a reference.

A reference would be expected to summarise the caring responsibilities of the student and explain the impact that those responsibilities have on their studies.